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Georgia football coach Kirby Smart is known for having a strong rivalry with Alabama. Smart and his Bulldogs lost last season to the Crimson Tide, and he had to defeat Nick Saban and Alabama for years to get to the College Football Playoff before that.
Smart is showing some support to Alabama's current coach Kalen DeBoer. Some Alabama fans are grumbling after DeBoer couldn't get the Crimson Tide to the CFP last season. Smart doesn't consider that to be fair criticism.
“I’m not qualified to give an analysis of another head coach in our league who I have tremendous respect for,” Smart said at SEC Media Days, per On3. “And you know, anytime you come into a situation that he came into behind Nick and at that program and the transition, it’s going to be a new deal. And I think he’s a tremendous coach, obviously … they did an outstanding job jumping all over us. So, my respect for coach DeBoer is high.”
Although Alabama missed the CFP, Georgia did in fact make the tournament this past season. The Bulldogs lost in a disappointing game to Notre Dame.
Smart and Georgia will have their chance to get revenge on DeBoer this season, when the two schools meet on September 27.
Georgia football has high hopes for another run to the CFP
Georgia football has expectations this season to win a national championship. It's been a few years since the school was able to do that, and the fans want more hardware in the school's trophy case.
The team has a new quarterback in Gunner Stockton, who takes over from Carson Beck. Smart is a believer in his new play caller.
“The No. 1 thing Gunner does is he leads,” Smart said at SEC Media Days on Tuesday, per the Gwinnett Daily Post. “He does it the right way, each and every day. He commands the room. He works his butt off. Gunner is already one of the leaders of our team. I think you saw that last year when he came in after halftime (against Texas in the conference championship) and laid it on the line physically and mentally. I’m excited to see him grow and continue to get better.”
The quarterback welcomes the chance to lead the Bulldogs program.
“Just the way I handle myself, since I’ve been in college and just the way I live my life, I try to show up to work every day and do the right thing,” Stockton said. “Not always being perfect, because we’re not going to be perfect, but just treating people the right way and doing the right thing.”
Georgia opens their season in August with a non conference game against Marshall.
